


Just Say the Word and I'll Part the Sea

by AberrantCaptain, jade_earrings



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alpha Shorter Wong, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mentions of past abuse, Omega Ash Lynx, Post-Angel Eyes, Pre-Canon, trauma flashbacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:53:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26379892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AberrantCaptain/pseuds/AberrantCaptain, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jade_earrings/pseuds/jade_earrings
Summary: Shorter would do anything for Ash. Even if that means putting a target on his back when he agrees to help Ash with his heat.
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Shorter Wong
Comments: 16
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from Foster the People's "Sit Next to Me"
> 
> The Explicit rating is for upcoming chapters, so stay tuned >:)
> 
> I'm writing this with the lovely [AberrantCaptain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AberrantCaptain/profile), who writes Shorter better than anyone on the planet. Thank you, S <3<3

Shorter got the text while he was on dish duty. 

His phone was in his pocket. He could feel it buzzing, once, twice, three times, but he couldn't check it, at least not while his hands were covered in soapy water.

It was three hours into his shift, with another hour at least to go. Thankfully, the dinner rush was almost over, so he knew he wouldn't have to be there all night. Unless Nadia found something else for him to do, or just had him do prep for the next day, which was entirely possible. If he was lucky, he'd be able to slip out unnoticed. 

He dried his hands quickly and slipped his phone out of his pocket, never quite sure what he was about to see on the screen. 

His heart jumped. It was a text from Ash. Well, two texts now. 

**I need your help.**

Shorter flicked his thumb, scrolling to the newest message. 

**It's time-sensitive.**

And then, as soon as he had read the last text, a new one appeared. 

**I'm at the back door.**

Shorter exhaled. So it was _that_ kind of time-sensitive.

He was the only one in the kitchen at the moment, and he poked his head out of the doorway to the dining room. The last of the diners had left, and Nadia was busy wiping down tables. He almost said something, but decided she wouldn’t notice the water turning off for a minute. Ash could come in while he finished the dishes.

Pushing his hair back, he opened the back door off the kitchen. Sure enough, Ash was there.

Shorter took a deep breath, and his eyelids fluttered. 

Ash smelled _good._

“Fuck,” Shorter blurted out. He leaned against the door frame.

Ash must have just been in close contact with an omega. _Really_ close contact. Or...

_No way. There’s no way..._

“Are you going to let me in?” Ash’s eyes narrowed. His cheeks were flushed, a thin line of sweat at his hairline and above his upper lip. 

Shorter exhaled slowly. He didn’t want the entire restaurant to smell like omega, but he also didn’t want to leave Ash out in the alley, especially smelling like that. He didn’t want to think about what could have happened to Ash on his way there. 

“You… You didn’t tell me you were…”

Of all the things Shorter had had to deal with that day, he never would have guessed that it would be this.

He tried to remember if he noticed anything while he was in juvie with Ash, but he knew he would have remembered something that important. Especially since it concerned Ash. _He’s not that old…_ The idea that this was the first time Ash had done this didn’t make Shorter feel any better.

Ash chewed his lip, his eyes flicking downward, then back up to meet Shorter's as a blush spread across his nose and cheeks. He was beautiful. _Nah...that’s just the alpha talking..._

“I didn’t know who else to go to,” Ash said finally. 

Shorter inhaled deeply, regretting it when his nose filled with omega scent. And not just any omega, _Ash._

“I got vaped on,” Ash added. 

Shorter blinked, his thoughts interrupted. 

“What?”

Ash just stared at him. 

Exhaling, Shorter reached for the front of Ash’s shirt and pulled him in the door, reaching for the sink and turning it on as he got him inside. Hopefully the sound would keep Nadia from getting suspicious.

“Look, I’ve gotta finish this first, and...well, you can’t really stay here. I’ll be off soon. Just...go wait in my room, okay?” he said, keeping his voice quiet. He hoped the floor between them would be enough to block out the strong omega scent...but he also knew that was probably overly optimistic. “I haven’t done laundry. You, uh…” He couldn’t think of anything less comfortable than what he was suggesting. “...you might put something of mine on, just for now.” It would help mask the scent, if nothing else. Best not to draw attention to Ash until he had a plan in place.

Ash nodded, relief washing over him. He knew he wasn’t thinking clearly, and he hadn’t fully thought through what he would have done if Shorter had said no, or worse, sent him away. At least for the moment, he didn’t need to worry about that part. For now, he was safe. 

His gaze lingered on Shorter for a moment before he turned and started up the stairs in the direction of Shorter’s room.

By the time he reached the top of the stairs, his heart was pounding. He stepped into Shorter’s room and swayed on the spot, grabbing onto the door frame as a wave of alpha scent hit him. 

_Fuck. Fuck fuck._

He was able to pull the door shut and take the few steps to Shorter’s bed before he collapsed down onto it, becoming completely enveloped in Shorter’s scent. He could feel his heart rate start to slow immediately.

Remembering what Shorter had just said about putting something of his on, Ash reached for the shirt that had obviously been dropped or tossed at the foot of the bed. It was loose and comfortable, and he could tell that Shorter had worn it recently. Ash slid the shirt over his head, on top of the one he was already wearing, and sighed audibly, feeling more relaxed than he had in days. 

As he sucked in a slow breath, he leaned over to scan Shorter’s bookshelf. He reached out to slip one of the books from the shelf, and then settled against the mattress. He let himself press his face into it once, inhaling slowly. 

His shift couldn’t end fast enough. Nadia suspected something, but she hadn’t pressed yet. Shorter knew he’d have to explain later but...that could wait.

He found Ash in his room, thumbing through a book he’d found. Shorter dropped down to sit on the floor just inside the door, eyes on Ash. He’d only been alone in the room for an hour, but the whole place smelled so strongly of omega that Shorter didn’t want to think about all the cleaning he’d have to do to remove it. 

“How soon’s it supposed to start?” He was almost embarrassed how little he knew about omega biology. Then again, he supposed it wasn’t surprising. He and Nadia were both alphas, and while that had made it easy for her to help him when he started to present, it also meant that was where his experience ended.

“Not sure. Soon,” Ash added. He closed the book and stared at Shorter. Now, if it was even possible, the scent surrounding him was stronger, a heady blend of alpha and Shorter that made Ash reel. He didn’t miss the fact that Shorter wouldn’t come any nearer to him than the doorway. This realization gave him a pang in his chest that he didn’t fully understand. 

“I’m feeling better now,” he offered weakly, smiling slightly as he held Shorter’s gaze. “A little, anyway.” It was true, but Ash also knew that in that moment, he would have done anything, said anything, to get Shorter to close the gap between them. “Your shirt helped.” His fingertips plucked at the hem as he watched Shorter, praying that he wasn’t about to make him leave. 

Shorter hadn’t suggested that Ash wear his shirt because he thought it would help so much as because he’d hoped it would mask the scent. If it helped, though…

“Good. You can keep it.” He vaguely remembered hearing that omegas in heat liked to be surrounded by familiar things. 

The longer he sat with Ash’s scent, the easier it became for him to think. If Ash was starting soon, they needed to get him somewhere secure. His room was hardly that. 

“I...uh...I didn’t know,” he finally said, leaning his head back against the door. He felt like he should have, like it should have been obvious. Now that he was really thinking about it, he realized he’d always just assumed Ash was an alpha. _That’s what you get for making assumptions…_ “Have you done this before?”

“Yeah.” Ash’s face went red again, but he didn’t break his gaze. “A couple of times. So it’s not the first,” he added.

Ash inhaled again, and then let it out slowly, feeling the tension in his body start to drain. He could think a little more clearly now, though he knew that would change sooner rather than later, probably in the next day or two, or even by the end of the night...

He felt his heart rate start to climb again, and he fought to stay calm.

_Breathe in. Out._

As he rested against the door, Shorter weighed his options. There was no way that this wouldn't get complicated. He was sure of one thing: Ash couldn’t stay there. He couldn’t have him anywhere near the restaurant. It wasn’t safe for any of them. Not for Ash, not for him, and especially not for Nadia. _Nadia...she’ll love this._

Also, Ash going missing would get suspicious, especially if his heat lasted more than a few days. Someone would come sniffing around for him sooner or later (probably sooner). Better to go somewhere that was equipped for that than it was to keep him here.

“I’ll figure something out,” he said, pushing himself up off the floor. He’d have to tell his sister before he did much else. “Do you want food or anything? Water?”

“Just water.” The thought of food made Ash’s stomach churn.

Shorter nodded and opened the door, slipping out. He barely made it two steps down the hall before running right into Nadia. He jumped.

“Shit, didn’t hear you come upstairs.” He recovered and pulled the door closed, keeping his voice low. “I know, he can’t stay here. I’ll figure something out by tomorrow. Can he at least stay until then?”

Whatever Nadia had expected, it wasn’t that, and the stern expression turned to confusion before softening a little.

“That’s Ash, isn’t it.” Her brother was hopeless when it came to Ash. “Is he really…?”

“Yeah,” Shorter said, sheepishly pushing his hair back. “I, uh...I didn’t know.” 

Nadia knew that without Shorter saying anything. As many times as Ash had been over, she hadn’t realized it, either. That surprised her more than anything; she was usually good at picking out whether or not someone was an alpha. She folded her arms over her chest, frowning as she thought.

“We don’t open until noon tomorrow. As long as he stays up here, it shouldn’t be too obvious downstairs. Figure out what you’re going to do, though. He smells like he’s about to start any second.” 

“Yeah, I’ll get it sorted out tomorrow. I’ve got a few guys I can call.”

“Just be careful.” She didn’t say why and Shorter didn’t ask. They both knew that it was better to be discreet about Ash, at least as much as was possible. “Let me know if you need help.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash's terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day. Well, at least until the end. ;)

It had been a long day.

Well, a long couple of days. But nothing like this. In many ways, this had been the longest, worst day he’d had in a while. 

For Ash, everything had finally seemed to be falling into place. Until now. 

He’d made it out of juvie without further complications (mostly), and, only a few months later, he was on his way to running most of lower Manhattan. 

And now, he was having a breakthrough heat.

He thought he was dying. 

At first, he’d just felt… off. A couple of days before, he’d had a mild fever. And then muscles aches. And then, he thought he was just getting a migraine. He took the day off, deciding to just lay low until whatever was wrong with him had blown over. 

_Maybe I have the flu. Maybe I ate something bad. Maybe…_

The next morning, he’d felt worse. 

The moment he’d woken up, he knew something was wrong. His entire body was bathed in sweat, and so was the mattress. He sat up, set his feet on the floor, and then stood up too fast, his vision tunneling. And then, the nausea hit. 

He didn’t puke. Even though he wanted to. Even though he thought it might bring him some relief. 

As he sat on the floor of the shower, under the stream of cool water with his head between his knees as they were pulled up to his chest, one word rang out in his head over and over. 

_Why?_

He’d been careful. He’d never missed a pill, and avoided known triggers. As best as he could, anyway. He supposed there was always that chance, even if he tried to do everything perfectly. Unless…

_That bastard._

Fifteen minutes later, he set out for Meredith’s office. There was a distinct fall chill in the air as he headed out in just jeans and a t-shirt, and he began sweating again as soon as he stepped outside. 

The whole way there, everything was too sharp and too loud and he felt like he was going to throw up. For the most part, people kept their distance.

He’d thrown open the door of the clinic and let it bang shut behind him as he pushed past the receptionist. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw her cover her mouth and nose as he passed. 

“Oh,” Meredith had said when he burst in. Ash knew he looked terrible. He’d seen it in the bathroom mirror earlier. Sunken eyes, dark circles, dehydrated. 

“The stuff you gave me isn’t working,” he’d blurted out.

Meredith sat him down in the examination chair so that he could take his temperature.

“How long have you been on suppressants?” he'd asked Ash. “Before you started seeing me.”

The truth was, he wasn’t sure. He’d been on several different kinds of suppressants, in varying dosages, for years now. He’d only started getting them from Meredith in the last six months. 

“I don’t know,” he said quickly. “Long time.” He bit his lip as Meredith shined a penlight in each of his eyes, and then brought his hands to Ash’s neck to feel his lymph nodes. He then strapped the blood pressure cuff around Ash’s bicep and pressed the disk of his stethoscope against his arm before pumping it up. The shock of cold against his skin was a relief.  
  
“Blood pressure is still low,” he told Ash, deflating the cuff. The old velcro made a muffled ripping sound as he pulled it off. “When was your last heat?”

Ash hesitated. 

“It’s been a while,” he answered. 

“How long, Ash.”

Ash sighed loudly.

“What’s wrong with them?" Ash tried to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth as Meredith placed two fingertips against his wrist. 

"Ash, you need to calm down. Your pulse is 115."

"Why did they stop working?” 

“That’s fairly common with extended use of suppressants,” Meredith answered. 

Ash frowned. 

“Isn’t there something you can give me?”

Meredith pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“You can’t be on any kind of suppressant or blocker continuously.” He sounded exasperated. “At best, eventually, your body will make you have a heat. At worst, it can cause irreversible damage.” 

Ash almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

“You’re a _doctor,_ ” he retorted. “Treat me.”

“Ash-”

As he was about to snap something else back at him, Ash had a sudden, vivid memory of Meredith telling him all of this before. He couldn’t remember exactly when, but at least at some point, at least since he’d figured out he was an omega. And he either hadn’t listened, or figured that it wouldn’t actually happen to him, or figured that it was a problem for him to deal with in the future. 

And now…

“Fine. What should I do?” Ash asked finally. 

“Have your heat.” 

“Where? How?” His jaw clenched. He could feel his temperature rising, just as he was sitting in the chair. The stagnant air in the examination room was becoming unbearable. “Can you open the window?”

“Is there somewhere safe you can go?” Meredith asked him.

 _No._ Ash had thought immediately. The thought of the last place and the last circumstances of his previous heat made bile rise in his throat. He swallowed it back down. 

“I have a list of places I usually recommend to-”

“No,” Ash said flatly. 

“An alpha might help,” Meredith added. 

“I know that,” Ash answered through gritted teeth. As much as he wanted to deal with his heat alone, he knew that Meredith was right. An alpha would make his heat less painful, and might even cut it short. But he wouldn’t go back to the mansion. He’d already decided that. 

“Would you like me to find you an alpha?”

“No.” Ash practically spat. He could feel sweat drip from his chest to his stomach under his shirt. “I’m getting a second opinion,” he added.

“Fine.” Meredith sounded amused. “Do you want me to give you a shot?”

A shot. So he wouldn’t get knocked up. The thought made Ash nauseous all over again.

“Yeah,” he answered, reaching to push up his left sleeve. The alcohol prep pad felt cold against his skin. “This had better work.” 

As the needle went in, Ash laughed. 

By the time he left the clinic, he knew where he was going. It took him a second to consider whether or not he should, and another second to make up his mind. 

He knew he couldn’t show up in the middle of the day, though. He would need to make it a few more hours before going out again. 

On his way back to his apartment, he started to feel faint. 

He didn’t know how long he lay on his bed, still sweating. He knew he just had to wait until it was dark before he could leave. 

He barely remembered walking there. He remembered not taking his usual shortcuts through the alleys, and someone on the sidewalk blew their vape into his face, choking him with a cloud that smelled like raspberry cotton candy mixed with stale tongue. 

He threw up.

Most of it hit the gutter, and most of the people on the sidewalk got out of the way in time. Ash wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, shaking, stomach acid stinging the back of his nose. 

He barely remembered turning the corner into Chinatown, onto the street that led to Chang Dai.

The alley smelled like puke. Or he smelled like puke. He couldn’t tell.

He could see the humidity in the air. It rippled over the neon lights that lined the street. 

He passed one door, and then another, and then one more.

And then…

As he stood outside the back door of the restaurant, all of his thoughts hit him at once. 

Shorter didn’t even know he was an omega. At least, he hadn’t told him. And Shorter had never given him any indication that he knew this about him. 

He hadn’t told him. And he wasn’t even sure why.

He felt like he had lied to him. At the very least by omission.

He didn't care if he lied to everyone else. As far as he was concerned, he could have gone to his grave with no one knowing his status except Dino.

He’d never wanted to go through it again.

And now, here he was, probably only hours away from the inevitable. 

Heaving a huge sigh, he slipped his phone out of his pocket and typed out a text to Shorter. And then another. And then one more. 

The alley was still and too quiet. Ash stepped into the shadow of the building, leaning against the wall as he waited. 

Shorter hadn’t turned him down.

Of course he hadn’t. Ash knew he was being paranoid, and a little overly-sensitive, which was probably what had made him feel like crying at the prospect of Shorter turning him away.

Now, as he lay in Shorter’s bed in the dark, surrounded by his soft sheets and wearing his soft clothes, he realized how batshit insane he probably seemed, showing up to the restaurant late in the evening, smelling like sweat and vomit and God knows what else, demanding that Shorter help him.

And now, as usual, Shorter was doing way more for him than he knew he deserved. Not only did he not kick him out, but he was also _keeping_ him there, at least for now, at this risk of his own safety, and the safety of everyone else Shorter had already tasked himself with. All because Ash was being stupid, and selfish, and really, really hormonal. 

Most days, he wasn’t sure why Shorter put up with him. 

Still, now, he was curled up in his bed, more content and at ease than he had been in...well, he couldn't remember. At the very least, he was safe for the night, safe until he started. At best...Ash shivered as visions of the two of them completely entwined in Shorter’s bed flashed through his mind. No, for now, he would just get a good night’s sleep for once.

As he moved to set the water cup on the bedside table, Ash scanned the room until he could make out the shadow of Shorter’s overflowing laundry basket. He inched out of the bed just enough that he could hook his fingers into the basket’s handle and drag it toward him. A moment later, he’d dumped the entire basket on top of him on the bed and settled into it, sighing.

He let his fingertips run over his t-shirts and tank tops and boxers, the fabric slightly gummy, probably from Shorter using too much detergent the last time he ran them through the wash. Ash hesitated, and then pulled one of the t-shirts to his face and pressed his nose into it, inhaling a slow, shaky breath as something exploded in his brain.

“Fuck.” He hissed softly, his gut curling as Shorter’s days-old scent filled his nostrils.

Suddenly, he couldn’t stand the heavy feeling of his jeans, and reached down with slightly shaking fingers to undo his belt, shoving the denim down enough so that he could kick them onto the floor next to the bed. He spread Shorter’s t-shirt on the mattress, smoothing his fingers over it before laying the side of his face right into the armpit seam. Shivering, he pressed his hips against the bed, not daring to reach down, not yet. This was fine. If he didn’t actually make himself come in Shorter’s bed, Shorter didn’t need to know that he was rubbing himself off against his sheets with his face in one of his dirty shirts.

The slightest hint of anxiety flared through him as he pictured Shorter walking in on him like this, but it wasn’t enough for him to stop. Hell, if Shorter showed up now, and found him panting and sweating and obviously needing this… 

One more deep breath in, and he couldn’t think. 

He pictured Shorter taking his hips in his hands, gripping them, pulling him up roughly so that his ass was in the air, his hand placed firmly on his lower spine...

Ash moaned audibly, his back arched, one hand fisting the fabric of Shorter’s shirt. 

He pictured the sharp points of his incisors as he opened his mouth, could hear his warm, low voice…the harder Ash rubbed against the bed, the closer it sounded to his ear.

His breath hot against the side of his neck...

He was dizzy now, static in his ears, a low hum mingled with Shorter's voice that kept getting louder and louder. 

_'Baby…'_

A moan burst from his lips as he shot against the bed with a small cry.

Most of it was still in his underwear. It wasn’t until he rolled over, still shivering, that he felt the quarter-sized wet spot on Shorter’s sheets against his bare thigh.

_Shit._

Ash sat up quickly, his ears pricking as he listened for anything that might indicate that someone was near. He heard people moving downstairs, a few voices, some sounds of the kitchen, all of which seemed far away. Good. He listened intently for a few more moments, and then lay back down against the bed, his legs still trembling. He was asleep almost as soon as his face touched the mattress.

For the first time in a long time, once he passed out, he didn’t wake up until morning, and he didn’t dream.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine Ash smells kind of like Prada Candy. 
> 
> Shorter smells like this really nice indie perfume I used to have that I loved but couldn't wear because I ended up being allergic to it :( I'll never forget what it smells like, though.

_“Finally found an omega?”_

The tone had been teasing, but something about it pissed Shorter off, like Ash was being directly insulted.

_“It’s a favor for someone, that’s all, and you’re not going to say anything to anyone about it or I’m the last client you’re going to have.”_

Shorter hadn’t shoved him into the wall, but he’d dearly wanted to. The meaning of his words clearly got through, and, with a mumbled apology, his deposit was accepted and his reservation confirmed.

Just thinking about it again made Shorter mad. No, not mad. That wasn’t a strong enough word. He was furious, _enraged_ , hearing someone talk about Ash like that, and it caught him off guard. He’d known Ash long enough to know he was protective of him, but this was more than that, and he knew it had been triggered by finding out that Ash was an omega, that his alpha tendencies were rearing up in a way he hadn’t experienced before.

 _Besides, you can’t hurt him. If you do, they’re not going to let Ash have his heat there._

He wouldn’t have really hurt him, anyways. At least...he didn’t think so.

Anger aside, Shorter was thankful for his connections. Without them, finding a place for Ash’s heat would’ve been next to impossible, this late in the game. There were plenty of them in Chinatown, with some serving people who lived there and some serving people who came from outside. Shorter had specifically chosen one that was mainly used by locals, hoping that would help buy them time if anyone came looking for Ash. It didn’t hurt that it was run by the family of one of his gang members.   
  


Ash had spent the day a willing prisoner in Shorter’s room, surrounded by his dirty laundry. He’d woken up naturally, the sun warm on his face as he realized where he was. It was quiet. No slamming doors, no neighbors screaming at each other. A nice change. 

Even though he was closer to starting his heat than he had been the night before, he woke up feeling better than he had the whole previous day. He could feel himself sweating even more (if that was possible), and when he got up from Shorter’s bed, he was dizzy. But that morning, his nausea was almost completely gone. 

He’d practically chirped at Nadia when she’d brought him food. Well, when she’d shoved a plate and a pitcher of water through the door and shut it again with lightning speed. He’d inhaled the entire plate of food and over half the pitcher, and when his skin started to heat up again, he took a shower. As the water rinsed off everything from the previous day, the sweat and the puke and the slick, Ash started to feel almost like a person again. Afterward, he put his own pair of jeans back on (just because Shorter’s wouldn’t fit him) and slipped one of Shorter’s clean shirts over his head. It had just enough of Shorter’s scent, mixed with the fuzzy smell of clean laundry. He then spent the rest of the day curled up and reading in the temporary nest he’d made out of things he’d found around Shorter’s room. 

It was in sharp contrast to Shorter’s day, spent making arrangements (at places he’d never gone for a thing he had no experience with), making threats (had to keep people quiet somehow), and talking Nadia into giving him the week off (which, surprisingly, ended up being the easiest task). It was all worth it when he went home and found Ash in his room, much calmer than he’d been the night before, despite being cooped up all day. 

“Found a place we can stay,” he said, pushing his door shut. “Mostly locals use it, so it should be pretty safe. And Nadia said she’ll send food and shit while we’re there.” There wasn’t much to pack. A couple changes of clothes, sure, but not enough for the week that some heats ended up lasting. (Shorter didn’t expect to need several changes of clothes, given the nature of things.)

“Yeah?” Ash sat up from where he’d been reclined on Shorter’s bed, his eyes flicking down toward the beginnings of the nest he’d made out of Shorter’s laundry. Any embarrassment he might have felt was dissipating upon seeing the obvious relief on Shorter’s face. 

“Yeah.” Shorter stopped in front of his closet and looked at Ash. He’d obviously spent the day nesting on his bed, which was now a mess of sheets and clothes, the hamper overturned and empty on the other side of the room. He wondered how much of that Ash had even realized he was doing. As far as Shorter understood it, a lot of it was instinctual. “We’re leaving once it gets dark. Fewer people out, that way. More discreet.” He shrugged. Maybe it wasn’t necessary. Discretion was habitual, though, and Shorter didn’t feel like doing it differently.

“Okay.” Ash smiled genuinely. “Uh, I’ll get some stuff together before we go,” he added, sliding out of Shorter’s bed. His toes flexed once they hit the floor. 

Once Shorter had left the room once more, Ash set out getting the things together he knew he would want for when his heat actually started. While nosing around Shorter’s room earlier, he had unearthed a duffle bag that looked like it was from the 80s with a thick layer of dust on one side. He pulled it over by the shoulder strap and started throwing things into it, including the shirt of Shorter’s that he had worn the night before. Event though they weren’t leaving right away, he wanted to be ready at a moment’s notice. 

It was well after dark when they finally left Chang Dai. Shorter could tell that Ash was close to starting, and he suspected the fact that he hadn’t yet was due entirely to willpower. It was easier to move at night when there were fewer people out. Better not to be seen entering the place they were going to be staying for the next several days. Besides, the fact that Ash was white was more likely to draw attention, due to the place Shorter had picked. 

Ash stayed close to Shorter’s side, practically under his arm as they moved down the street. By now, his temperature had risen to the point that he was almost delirious, but it didn’t matter. The night air was cool on his face, and it was starting to sink in that this heat wasn’t going to be anything like the previous ones. The thought made him almost giddy as Shorter steered him through Chinatown. 

Shorter kept an arm around Ash as they walked through back alleys and alongside buildings, staying out of sight. He told himself he was only doing it because Ash wasn’t as attentive as he normally was, even though he knew he was lying. His alpha instincts had been rising since Ash showed up and had reached the point where he knew he’d have done anything for the omega at his side. Ash was _his_ , and he knew he’d have killed anyone who got between them at this point.

Fortunately, that didn’t become necessary, and they got to the heat hotel unapproached and unharassed. Shorter felt himself relaxing as they were let in and taken to the room he’d rented for the rest of Ash’s heat. There was barely a smell at all, and that alone was soothing. He knew how well they cleaned these places in between patrons and now he knew exactly why that was. As they closed the door, the only scent his and Ash’s, mingled together. It was a strange sensation, one he’d never experienced before. It seemed to draw up that instinctual protectiveness that he’d had flashes of throughout the day, that reminder that Ash was _his_. 

Or, at least, he wanted him to be.

Ash sighed once the door was shut, releasing the tension that he wasn’t aware he had been holding in his entire body. As his eyes scanned the room, nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary. It looked like it could almost be any hotel room in any part of Chinatown. Except...as he stood there, partway in the room with the door closed, the main thing he noticed was that he couldn’t hear anything. It was almost eerie.

Ash exhaled again, unable to keep a smile from breaking across his face. 

It was _safe._

“It’s great.” He turned to Shorter, his eyes flickering. “Good job.” He started kicking his shoes off, edging them against the wall with his toes before moving to examine things around the room in more detail. 

“Yeah?” The praise helped Shorter relax a little, and he kicked off his shoes next to Ash’s. “Good. I mean, I haven’t been here before, so I had to do some guessing.” He wanted this to be the best heat Ash ever had, wanted more of his approval. He was ready to give him anything he needed over the next few days.

Ash hummed a little as he moved around the room. The bed was the obvious choice for his nest. The room also had a couch on the other wall, but it didn’t look quite big enough for all the things he was planning to pile on it. He dragged the duffle bag over to the bed and turned it over so that the contents spilled out, which consisted of a decent amount of Shorter’s dirty laundry (he’d picked his favorite pieces), plus his pillow (which was ancient and almost completely flat), and also the sheet that he’d pulled off Shorter’s bed that now smelled like both of them.

He started to spread everything around the bed, pushing articles of Shorter’s clothes into different corners and seeing how he felt about it. First the sheet, and then the shirts, and in between each shirt, a pair of boxers. He set the pillow in the center, then pushed it toward the head of the bed, and then frowned as he pushed it back to the center. He saw the faded wet spot on the sheet again, the one from the night before. 

He stopped, blinked, took a breath. 

He felt insane. 

Shorter slumped down on the couch, eyes following Ash as he scoped out the room. He supposed he could have offered to help, but Ash seemed to know what he was doing. As Ash dumped out his things, Shorter wondered just how embarrassed he should be by the amount of dirty laundry Ash had found. He couldn’t even _remember_ the last time he’d seen half of what was in that bag. He vaguely remembered shoving it at the back of the closet so that his room would look clean enough to fool Nadia. Of course Ash had rooted it all out.

Ash turned to face Shorter, who was on the couch and looked exhausted. Part of him wanted to tell him, _Hey, I’m going to do some really weird shit over the next few days._ But Shorter surely already knew that. Ash also knew that in a few hours, he wouldn’t care how any of this looked, to anyone. Part of him was ready to let it all go, mostly because he was so strained and so _tired_ of trying to hold everything back. The other part of him would do anything he could to make Shorter stay, to make sure he wouldn’t leave this room, no matter what.

Ash softened, then took a step toward Shorter, and then another, and another…

“Hey…” He stepped into his space, staring down at him, half-amused, half-curious. For a second, he thought he could tell what Shorter was thinking. And then it faded, leaving nothing between them but their breath. 

Their knees were touching now. Ash could feel Shorter’s warmth rolling off him in waves. In one fluid motion, he lifted one leg and slid onto his lap, his thighs settling around him easily. He let himself take in Shorter’s face as he cupped both hands around his jaw and tipped his chin up.

“Thanks…” he murmured. His thumbs passed over Shorter’s cheeks, feeling the faintest beginnings of stubble. “For this.” His eyelashes brushed together as his eyes went half-lidded. “I’ll make it worth your while,” he whispered as he leaned in. “I promise.” 

When his lips touched Shorter’s, his mind wiped clean. 

It was like in his room last night, except then, he wasn’t there. And now, he was. 

An explosion. 

Ash couldn’t see, couldn’t hear...nothing mattered. Just this. 

What struck Shorter was how _easy_ it was to let Ash do whatever he wanted. It had been easy the last time, too, but they’d both been drunk and it had been late and the kiss had felt like it was happening more on a dare than anything. This was different, and he hadn’t had a drink in several days. 

“You don’t have to make it ‘worth my while’,” he laughed softly, their lips still touching. He felt his hands sliding up to touch Ash’s legs, then further to hold his waist. “This’ll be the longest break from the kitchen I’ve had in a while, anyways.” _Just want to make sure you get through this okay._ He wasn’t about to voice that thought out loud though. Too sentimental.

Ash pulled away enough for Shorter to get a good look at his face. His eyes looked almost glazed over, but he couldn’t tell if that was because he hadn’t slept well lately or if it was heat-related. He guessed it could’ve been both. “I told you I haven’t done any of this before, right?”

“I...what?” Ash blinked slowly as his synapses started to fire once more. “You mean, like, with an omega?”

His hands dropped from Shorter’s face. He wasn’t sure why this surprised him so much. Girls liked him. Omegas liked him. Hell, even other alphas liked him. The thought that this would be Shorter’s first experience with this was thudding in his brain. Shorter’s first, but not his. 

Ash laughed suddenly. 

“I’m sorry, I just-” 

It was all too much. He knew he wasn’t thinking as clearly as he could have been, but... 

First, he didn’t understand why Shorter wasn’t mauling him, when he was hours away from what he knew was going to be a full-blown heat, and now, as he was on top of him, when he knew what he probably smelled like (a strong, musky vanilla, at least that’s what he’d been told)...And Shorter’s scent was filling his nose now, a combination of what he thought was vetiver and oakmoss... Ash could drown in it. 

He blinked. No, he knew why Shorter was only just now touching him, and why he’d been able to form coherent sentences while Ash’s lips were pressed against his. It was the same reason he’d dropped everything, and everyone else, on a moment’s notice the night before. The same reason he’d brought him here, the same reason he was going to stay with him.

His heart flooded, tears springing to his eyes before he knew what was happening. For the first time in a long time, his brain couldn’t catch up to his body. And now, as he was filled to the brim with every emotion he’d ever felt, he was hyper aware of Shorter’s hands on his waist.

“I feel nuts,” he blurted out, laughing weakly. “I hate it.” 

Shorter kept his hands on Ash, trying to give him some comfort, stability, whatever it was that he needed. He laughed without meaning to.

“I mean, you’re always kinda nuts,” he said as he reached up, wanting to touch Ash’s face. He stopped himself though, putting his hand back. “It’s cool. I mean, I have a general idea of what happens with this shit. Just haven’t actually done anything with an omega who was actually, y’know, _in_ heat. And fucking outside of that is just, like, normal fucking.” He shrugged. “It’s okay if you’re nuts for a few days.”

Ash gaped as he turned Shorter’s words over and over in his head, barely able to make sense of them. _This isn’t going to be anything remotely like normal fucking,_ he wanted to tell him. _Not even for omega heat standards. It’s going to be intense, and messy, and..._

The sound of Shorter’s slow breathing brought Ash back. He was able to blink away the tears that had formed in the corners of his eyes. 

“I’m going to be even more nuts than usual,” he said finally, giving Shorter another weak smile. He leaned his hips against Shorter’s, and the heightened sensation of the denim’s friction made him shiver. 

He could feel it all breaking through. He knew that at any moment now, there was no way he’d be able to hold anything back. So, he figured this was as good of a time as ever. 

“Okay.” Ash exhaled slowly, shifting in Shorter’s lap. He didn’t know if he could actually express the things he wanted, at least not articulately. He knew he probably couldn't produce an exhaustive list, especially right now. But, at the very least, he could tell Shorter the things he didn’t want. 

“Don’t bite me until I tell you to.” Ash took a deep breath in, feeling lightheaded. Most of the things he didn’t like were things that he knew Shorter wouldn’t do. But, it was better to be up front about his hard nos at this point, especially since he knew he wouldn’t be coherent soon.

“And…” He hesitated, his mind retreating for the briefest moment before he came back again. “Don’t use any commands on me.” He bit his lip. “Actually, just...don’t tell me what to do.” 

It didn’t even occur to Shorter to do anything again what Ash had said. In the back of his mind, he wondered what Ash’s last heat had been like, how many things off his list had happened.

“Ash…” The corner of his mouth flicked up in a half-smile. “I know better than to tell you what to do.” He knew that wasn’t what Ash was talking about, that he was referring to commands that, if given right, would be almost impossible to refuse. “I won’t tell you what to do and I won’t bite you.” 

All of a sudden, it hit him. Everything on Ash’s list suggested that the last alpha to share his heat had treated him like a possession. Or worse. Shorter could almost picture it, based on what little he knew about Ash’s life up to that point, and he felt his stomach twist. _Definitely won’t do any of that…_

Ash realized he’d been holding his breath.

“I’m going to want you to bite me,” he said quickly. His stomach flipped as he pictured Shorter’s teeth sinking into his neck, marking him. “I just meant...don’t do it without letting me know before.” 

His thoughts were more erratic now. He suddenly had the urge to ask, no, _interrogate_ Shorter about every omega he’d ever fucked. What they were like. If they were anything like him. But he didn’t have the energy. His skin was damp underneath his jeans and t-shirt and he couldn’t wait to take everything off. At this moment, he wanted to crawl into his nest and curl up and try to calm the humming in his brain. 

He slid off of Shorter’s lap slowly and stood in front of him, his hands traveling down to undo his belt, and then the button and zipper of his jeans. He let out a sigh as his jeans dropped to the floor with a loud clink, and he stepped out of them before reaching up to pull his shirt over his head. Now, in just his boxers, as he clutched Shorter’s shirt against his chest, he turned and moved toward the bed. He slid back into his nest, sighing as scent surrounded him. Before he curled up, he gave Shorter a heavy look from across the room.

Shorter took that as a request to follow, and he did, getting up from the couch and heading toward the nest Ash had made. He didn’t do anything else until he was sure that Ash wanted him there. Stripping down to his boxers (only because he knew his clothes were gross from everything else that day, and he didn’t want to fuck up Ash’s nest this early in the week), he slid into the bed, letting Ash press up against his chest.

As Shorter settled into him, pressed against his back, his arms around him solidly, Ash immediately felt his nerves start to calm. His thoughts were slowing down, and he heaved a huge sigh as Shorter’s body completely enveloped his own. This. This is what he’d needed...all he’d ever need.

His eyes fell shut, and he let himself have a moment of bliss before the anxious part of his brain hummed back to life. 

_Pretty soon, I’m not going to know or care who you are,_ he thought dully. _Just that you’re an alpha. That’s all I’m going to care about._ He felt like he might cry again.

One of Ash’s hands came up to slide against Shorter’s, intertwining their fingers as he let out a slow, shaky breath. Shorter squeezed reassuringly as he pressed his nose against Ash’s hair, inhaling deeply. Now that they were this close, he wasn’t sure how he’d ever missed that Ash was an omega.

“Try to get some sleep,” he said softly. “Might be hard to sleep for the first few days.” Ash’s body felt a few degrees warmer than it had when they’d laid down, and Shorter guessed he would go into his full-blown heat before morning.

Ash nodded, letting himself sink deeper and deeper until there was nothing else, nothing except Shorter’s arms around him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's Shorash song is [Passenger Side](https://youtu.be/O09ZJs3RzwU) by Smallpools.
> 
> Also, I edited this two weeks ago but haven't since then! Enjoy!

Overnight, it happened. 

Ash wasn’t sure what time it was, but he knew it was early, or late, because the sun hadn’t come up yet. The room was cool and still, but he was burning up. Every part of him. 

_Fuck._

He groaned and rolled over, freezing when he heard a loud snore from Shorter. His boxers were soaked through, and when he reached down, his hand came away covered in slick. He pushed his boxers down and tossed them aside, hearing them land on the floor somewhere close to the bed, and then wiggled closer to Shorter, putting his face in his chest and breathing deeply. 

He really, _really_ didn’t want to wake him up. But he was dizzy now, and every breath he took against Shorter’s skin sent a jolt straight to his cock. His fingertips traced the curve of Shorter’s bicep, the touch feather-light as he shivered against him, and he inched his face up Shorter’s chest until his nose was pressed against the scent gland at his neck. Ash’s eyelids fluttered. 

“Shorter…”

Ash’s voice sounded thick in Shorter’s ear. He was normally a heavy sleeper, but in this strange place, with Ash’s nose pressed against him, it would have been impossible to stay asleep. 

“Ash…” he mumbled, trying and failing to force his eyes open. “You need somethin’?” He touched the back of Ash’s head, not sure if he should hold him there or try to get him to lay back down. He chose neither, keeping his hand there but not guiding Ash either direction. 

The smell hit him suddenly, an omega in heat, slick mixed with sweat, and it roused something in him that was more instinctual than anything.

“ _Fuck…”_ he mumbled, shifting as he forced his eyes open. “Ash…”

Shorter’s voice echoed in Ash’s ears as his hand cupped the back of his head, and another violent shiver rippled through him at his touch. He could feel how strangely cold the surface of his skin was, right above his burning core. Everything was radiating outward, spilling into the space around him. When Ash slid his hips against Shorter, the contact of his cock against Shorter’s stomach made him keen. 

“I need…” 

His hand shot out, fingers closing around Shorter’s wrist as he pulled his hand down into his slick, a high-pitched noise bursting from him as Shorter’s fingers slid against him. 

If Shorter hadn’t been awake before, he was now. He rubbed him, letting the slick coat his fingers. He shifted down a little, finding a better angle that would let him slide them inside of Ash, kneading at him as he tried to figure out what would draw the loudest noises from him. 

He soon found what he was looking for, and the sounds pouring from Ash’s throat made his cock jump. 

“God _damn_ …” 

Ash’s head fell back as Shorter’s knuckles kneaded inside of him. The low edge in Shorter’s voice awakened something in him, a submissiveness he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. He hooked one leg around Shorter’s waist, his breath hot at his shoulder.

“Please,” he slurred against Shorter’s skin. “I need it…”

He was pressed fully against him now, his mouth falling open in a soft ‘ _oh_ ’ as his hips bore down on Shorter’s cock, which was thick and hard and hot against him through the thin fabric of his boxers. 

Saying no to Ash had never come easily, least of all now. Shorter was achingly hard, but it was more than that. He _needed_ to be in Ash just as much as Ash needed it (at least, he hoped Ash needed it as badly as he did). He lost track of whose limbs were whose, but managed to work himself out of his boxers with his free hand.

The sound Ash made was the best thing Shorter could remember hearing, and as he rocked his hips up to meet his, he was struck by how ethereal Ash looked in the low light. 

“You look like a _goddamn angel_ …” His voice clashed with his words, a low, alpha-like growl that did no justice to just how beautiful Ash was. Shorter couldn’t help himself though, his instincts fighting to take over the entire encounter. As he spoke, he slid his fingers out, arching up to grind himself against Ash’s slick heat.

The harsh edge to Shorter’s voice sent a shudder through Ash’s entire body, and he made an almost wounded noise as Shorter pulled his fingers out of him, leaving him achingly empty.

_An angel…_ Ash laughed a little, complete bliss on his face as he barely processed Shorter’s words. _An angel...me…_

His legs fell apart easily as Shorter rubbed his cock against him, the insides of his thighs now coated in slick down to his knees. 

_Please,_ he thought desperately. 

When Shorter slid into him, he came. 

It was intense, white-hot and like morphine. He could feel his pupils blow out, his vision cutting for a few seconds as every muscle tensed, and then unrolled in a harsh wave. His eyes refocused, his legs shaking as he breathed in. 

“I…”

He could already feel arousal starting to build in his gut once more, and he let out a soft groan as he slid on top of Shorter and braced his hands against his chest. He felt huge, and in his haze, Ash wondered for a brief second if he’d even be able to take him like this without the aid of his heat and his slick.

Ash shifted slightly, leaning down and pressing himself against Shorter’s chest as he started to move his hips, his thighs still trembling. “You feel so fucking good,” he murmured into his neck, sucking lightly at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, around his scent gland, only grazing it with his teeth. As he moved his hips a little faster, he hardened against Shorter’s stomach almost instantly. 

”Fuck...you’re ready to go again?” The speed with which Ash started to get hard again caught Shorter off guard. He almost laughed, the sound morphing into a groan as Ash teased the skin near his scent gland. “Damn...you can bite, if you want to.” He hoped he would, at least by the end of the week, if not now. 

His hands slid up, fingers closing around Ash’s biceps. He dearly wanted to turn him onto his back and pound into him, but Ash’s rules from earlier rang in his head. _Don’t tell me what to do._ He wasn’t willing to do anything that might go against that.

“Ash, please...I _really_ want to fuck you…” If anyone had been listening, they might have mistaken Shorter for the omega, given the begging tone he was using. Ash had that effect on him though, and he didn’t mind it in the least.

Ash was reeling. He couldn’t believe that he’d made an alpha say ‘please’. That he was making him beg, even as his hands closed around his arms, sending a fresh current through his skin. Dazed, he dragged his lips up Shorter’s neck so that he could rasp against his ear. 

“ _Fuck_ me,” he slurred, nipping at Shorter’s earlobe. “I want it.” _I want_ you...

That was all the permission Shorter needed. Gripping Ash’s arms, he turned him over, sliding back in him as soon as he had him on his back. He felt incredible, like nobody else. The change in position let him slide in deeper and he knew he wouldn’t last long.

“God _damn._..”

Ash felt his whole body open up as Shorter put him on his back like it was nothing and slid into him deeper than anyone had in his life. A dull ache started to bloom low in his gut, spreading downward through his thighs, and his hand came down to press against his lower abdomen, right over the bulge of Shorter’s cock. He let out a noise that was almost a whine. 

Shorter gasped, shifting so he could press his hand against Ash’s, holding it there as he drove his cock in as deep as he could go.

“Fuck, Ash…” He knew he wasn’t going to last long, but he tried to hold off, knowing without a doubt that he was going to have to work to keep up with him.

“Right there, right there…” Ash was babbling now as the weight of Shorter’s hand over his own sent another orgasm ripping through him. He let out a pained noise as he arched back against the bed, spilling over both of their hands.

As he finished, the only thought that echoed in his brain was how much he needed Shorter to come inside him. Ash sighed as he felt his muscles start to tense involuntarily around Shorter’s cock.

As Ash squeezed around him, Shorter couldn’t hold himself off anymore. He shot hard, pushing as deep in as he could. He couldn’t think of a single time when he’d gotten off like that. Part of him knew it might just be because Ash was an omega. Part of him knew it was just because it was Ash.

Ash kept the heel of his hand still underneath Shorter’s, pressing against the bulge made by the head of his cock as he felt Shorter start to come inside him. His legs wrapped up around Shorter’s hips involuntarily, and he let out a low sigh. 

“Fuck,” Ash said weakly, his arms still wound around Shorter’s neck, legs still anchored around his waist. “That was…” 

He was slower to get hard again this time, but, again, it didn't take him long. This time, it hurt. He whimpered softly. 

He could feel it happening. The part he always dreaded. The part where he became completely submissive, every one of his defenses cracked open. The part where it hit him, where it fully sank in that he needed an alpha to get through this. To get him through this. 

Ash’s arms slid up around Shorter’s neck, and he clung to him, exhaling a shaky breath against his skin. 

Shorter couldn’t remember ever hearing Ash sound like that. As long as he’d known him, Ash had kept his guard up. This was different, vulnerable, and Shorter felt himself sliding a hand underneath Ash, pressing against his back.

“Already hard again?” he laughed softly. He knew it was starting to hurt, and wondered just how many more times Ash was going to have to get off before he could get some sleep.. 

He shifted, sliding a hand down Ash’s stomach to wrap around him. Shorter wasn’t hard enough to fuck him again just yet, but he could at least give him this.

“Fuck, Ash…”

He only had to stroke him a few times before Ash was coming again, twitching against Shorter’s hand as he keened loudly next to his ear. And then, it was quiet. Ash was suddenly hyper aware of Shorter’s hand against his spine, cradling him as he went slack underneath him. 

“Shorter, I…”

He was able to press his lips against Shorter’s neck just before he lost consciousness. 

Shorter exhaled, his breath escaping in a huff from his nose as he felt Ash go limp in his arms. _Just like that, he’s out._ He almost laughed, silently grateful that he’d lasted as long as Ash needed him to. The difference from ten, even just five minutes ago was day and night.

He shifted in the dark, trying to maneuver Ash so that he could lie down next to him on the bed. Once he was able to roll Ash onto his side, Shorter pulled him close, his face in his damp hair as he took a slow breath. Without thinking, he leaned down to kiss the nape of Ash’s neck. 

Ash eased into him, sighing. _He’s here,_ he thought hazily as he slipped fully into sleep. _Good._

_Just stay here. Just stay with me…_

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/jade_earrings)


End file.
